I have no idea what these black, white and gray bird with white tail feathers are, but in size they are between the doves and common sparrows. Actually, I've never found them in my guide to Southern California birds, and right now I can't find the bird guide either.
Unlike the doves who let us approach them, these "cactus" birds nose-dive the dog when he comes near -- truely a video camera moment -- and loudly squawk at me from near by treetops when I approach camera in hand.
One of the delights of living in the Valley is that it's a vertible natural zoo with frequent visits from rabbits, squirrels, possums, raccoons, harmless multicolored snakes and hundreds of lizards.
Unlike my neighbor who puts out bait to speed the demise of all these critters, I enjoy watching them do their thing.
Okay, I don't like mice and rats, especially when they take up residence in the house. Begrudgingly, I'll leave them alone if they stay in their ivy-walled homes where they belong.
I can even tollerate the lawn-killing gophers who like to stick their noses out of their holes and feint and dodge at the dog as he digs and sniffs for them. They really are as cute as Chip and Dale, although, I'd like to send them a bill for massacring a freshly sodded lawn.
On the other hand, living in a desert, I shouldn't have a lawn anyway.
Except for a mostly dead lawn, the story has a happy ending. Rick might have had quiet fun with his little joke about taking the ladder with him, but the doves got the last laugh.
You see, Rick didn't come back quickly enough to get his ladder and now Mr. and Mrs. Dove have started a second family on their ladder tree house.
Unlike the doves who let us approach them, these "cactus" birds nose-dive the dog when he comes near -- truely a video camera moment -- and loudly squawk at me from near by treetops when I approach camera in hand.
One of the delights of living in the Valley is that it's a vertible natural zoo with frequent visits from rabbits, squirrels, possums, raccoons, harmless multicolored snakes and hundreds of lizards.
Unlike my neighbor who puts out bait to speed the demise of all these critters, I enjoy watching them do their thing.
I can even tollerate the lawn-killing gophers who like to stick their noses out of their holes and feint and dodge at the dog as he digs and sniffs for them. They really are as cute as Chip and Dale, although, I'd like to send them a bill for massacring a freshly sodded lawn.
On the other hand, living in a desert, I shouldn't have a lawn anyway.
Except for a mostly dead lawn, the story has a happy ending. Rick might have had quiet fun with his little joke about taking the ladder with him, but the doves got the last laugh.
You see, Rick didn't come back quickly enough to get his ladder and now Mr. and Mrs. Dove have started a second family on their ladder tree house.
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